Davis Mwila blames UPND for copperbelt, Lusaka riots

18TH JANUARY 2018 – The Patriotic Front has sufficient evidence that riots taking place in the country are mainly happening in the UPND strongholds such as Kanyama in Lusaka and the latest being in Ndola on the Copperbelt today.

We are now, therefore, demanding for maximum discipline to these street vendors who are all known UPND cadres and being encouraged by their Leader, Hakainde Hichilema who has called for unity in the country.

Considering the above, we further urge the street vendors and Mr Hichilema to write letters of apology to our party, PF over their conduct or we ask the security wings to move in.

We are aware that Ndola, being the UPND newly-founded stronghold as they claim, our party security wing has briefed us that these riots will be extended to Kitwe, as UPND claims that it is also their new stronghold.

We want to call on the security wing to move in quickly and stop these unbecoming street vendors who want to hold His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu for ransom.

Our party leadership is working hard to help these street vendors but seemingly they are obsessed with Hakainde Hichilema as their Leader.

We want to urge the street vendors who have been making our country dirty that we will not entertain their utter reverse thinking because we are in a hurry to develop this country. *Sela tubombeko!*

Those that feel left out and complaining and or indeed thinking that we need their votes, we will not bow to their unsubstantiated claims.

We are saving lives and it does not matter if others will die of hunger as we chase them from the streets and prevent cholera, just like what the Local government minister said, Hon. Vincent Mwale, we have no enough trading places for the street vendors so those without a place must stay home or go back to their places of origin.

The Patriotic Front is determined not to allow street vending and anyone who wishes to continue doing so, they will do it at their own risk as the Police, our Army will move in and arrest them.

Let me make it very clear that the Party leadership supported the decision that had been taken by the His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu that these vendors moves out the streets with or without cholera in 2016 and spilling into 2017.

Today, Zambia has a phenomenon called street vending and this can be traced largely to a mismanaged economy not by us as Patriotic Front but previous governments such as UNIP and MMD.

Zambia is a land with promise, purpose and destiny and Patriotic Front can assure Zambians in the informal sector, not the street vendors and traders, that we will do anything to ensure sanity in our country, without leaving anyone behind.